Minocycline: What Should I Discuss With My Healthcare Provider Before Taking Minocycline

Content provided by Cerner Multum, Inc.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking minocycline?

Do not use this medication if you are allergic to minocycline, or to similar medicines such as demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Adoxa, Doryx, Oracea, Vibramycin), or tetracycline (Brodspec, Panmycin, Sumycin, Tetracap).

Before taking minocycline, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease. You may not be able to take minocycline, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during therapy.

If you are using minocycline to treat gonorrhea, your doctor may test you to make sure you do not also have syphilis, another sexually transmitted disease.

FDA pregnancy category D. This medication can cause harm to an unborn baby, including permanent discoloration of the teeth later in life. Do not use minocycline without your doctor's consent if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. Minocycline can make birth control pills less effective. Use a non-hormonal method of birth control (such as a condom, diaphragm, spermicide) to prevent pregnancy while you are taking minocycline.

Minocycline passes into breast milk and may affect bone and tooth development in a nursing baby. Do not take this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give minocycline to a child younger than 8 years old. Minocycline can cause permanent yellowing or graying of the teeth, and it can affect a child's growth.

Last updated:	March 24, 2008